Modern Mythology
Throughout the entirety of literature from its earliest origins to the dawn of the 20th century, the go-to source for metaphorical allusion was ancient mythology. From the plays written by the ancient Greeks through the tragedies of Shakespeare and right up to the classic novels of the 1800’s, writers turned to mythic heroes and stories for those tell-tale comparisons which metaphors illuminate. For that most part that is a thing of the past. We have our modern mythology to compare things to now:
“In my mind, the moment plays out like a scene from a movie.”
Poetry
Metaphorical imagery is often associated with poetry. And though not a book of poetry, such imagery does occasionally pop up. In a testament to the influence of Nanny titled “Rasul to Nanny” it shows up, for instance, in its most gloriously poetic form:
“I am a recipient of a great favor.
Like a castaway’s graduation to a trailblazer.
Like a child’s journey to adulthood.
I was an asteroid, I needed the space to birth a crater.”
It Is Systemic
A faction exists in this country that will argue until their dying day that racism is in no way, shape or form systemic. They will argue that there is absolutely nothing to the way police behave when “their life is on the line” that has anything to do with the color of a “suspect’s” skin. These people, of course, know better. How could anyone not at this point when the truth has been pulled from the shadows thanks to the prevalence of handheld movie cameras and the ability to use FOIA to force law enforcement to release police body cam footage to the public. When, that is, offices neglect to remember to turn the cameras off before the shooting starts.
“Guns and Black boys don’t mix, like oil and water.”
The Nannyism
The book is peppered with proverbial advice usually couched in metaphor from the author’s grandmother, lovingly know to all simply as Nanny. She dishes out these nuggets of wisdom when the occasion demands, but at all times there is an instigating moment. And on some occasions, that moment becomes a decision to issue the advice forth like proclamations barely concealing the true purpose of inciting terror:
“That Nannyism was the equivalent of a warning shot being fired in the air, letting a person know things could go from verbal to physical really quick if the tone didn’t change.”
A Nannyism
Plenty of choices exist from which to choose a Nannyism that reveals the power of metaphor. But why not stick with one the author himself has identified as a favorite. It is useful advice in many realms outside the specifics of its use in the book. The metaphorical image is constructed as advice similar to another one perhaps more familiar. Interesting, put together with the sage advice of not putting all your eggs in one basket, they work together as almost an Easter theme. But they’re not:
“It’s a sad rabbit that only got one hole.”
